Chlorodynerus arenicola (Kostylev, 1935)

Fateryga, Alexander V. & Proshchalykin, Maxim Yu., 2024, New records of the solitary Vespidae (Hymenoptera: Vespidae: Masarinae and Eumeninae s. l.) from Central Asia, with new synonyms and description of a new species of Eumenes Latreille, Zootaxa 5529 (3), pp. 551-569 : 555

Chlorodynerus arenicola (Kostylev, 1935)

( Fig. 2A )

Odynerus arenicola Kostylev, 1935a: 129 , 2 figs, ♀ ♂ (type locality: “ Transcaspia , Repetek ” [ Turkmenistan]).

Odynerus aurulentus Kostylev, 1935a: 131 , ♂ (type locality: “Tartugaj (Syr-Darjja)” [ Kazakhstan]), synonymized by Kurzenko 1982: 102.

Material examined (new records). UZBEKISTAN: Tamdytau Mts. , 41°39′02″N, 64°25′14″E, 28.V.2023, 1 ♀, leg. A. Fateryga [ CAFK]; ibid., on Meristotropis triphylla , 1 ♀, leg. A. Fateryga [ CAFK] .

Distribution. Turkmenistan, * Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, China (North).

Field observations. Females of this species were observed visiting Glycyrrhiza triphylla Fisch. & C.A. Mey. (≡ Meristotropis triphylla (Fisch. & C.A. Mey.) Fisch. & C.A. Mey. , Fabaceae ) at Tamdytau Mountains, Kyzylkum Desert. There were no other flowering plant species at this locality during the observations. The wasps were not observed visiting open flowers but, instead, they gnawed the top of closed buds ( Fig. 2A ). We can speculate that such a behavior was intended to obtain nectar. There were no water sources at Tamdytau Mountains and nectar could be probably used not only for feeding but for building purpose as well (to moisten dry earth and make mud from it). Representatives of eumenine wasps previously reported robbing nectar from flowers of plants in the family Fabaceae visited plant species with larger flowers and usually gnawed out holes in the calyx, viz. Bohartodynerus cinnabarinus (Bohart) at Astragalus holmgreniorum Barneby ( Barlow & Pavlik 2017) and Onychopterocheilus kiritshenkoi (Kostylev) at Caragana bungei Ledeb. and Vicia costata Ledeb. ( Fateryga & Buyanjargal 2023) . In addition, Pterocheilus phaleratus (Panzer) was observed as a base worker (sensu Inoyue 1980). In the latter case, the wasp obtained nectar from flowers of Lotus corniculatus L. not by perforating them but by using existing openings, found in the natural structure of the host flowers ( Haeseler 1975). For the best of our knowledge, nectar robbing by gnawing the top of closed buds has never been reported for the subfamily Eumeninae .

Figures

FIGURE 2. Females of two eumenine wasp species at flowers of Glycyrrhiza triphylla Fisch. & C.A. Mey. in Uzbekistan. A, Chlorodynerus arenicola (Kostylev); B–D, Euodynerus setosus Gusenleitner. A, nectar robbing by gnawing the top of a closed bud; B, C, nectar robbing by opening a flower that has not yet fully opened; D, regular visit to an open flower.